Language Science Lunch Talk: Jinglei Ren (HDQM)

From domain-general to orthography-specific: understanding the role of statistical learning in reading

Abstract: Statistical learning refers to the ability to (implicitly) extract regularities from the environment and to apply them to predict future events. To date, it is not clear whether a statistical learning process is involved in the process of learning to read, or which exact reading-related regularities benefit from the process and how they facilitate reading. In this talk, I will try to answer these questions: Is a domain-general statistical learning skill important for reading acquisition? What is the concurrent and longitudinal relationship between statistical learning and reading? What are the statistical regularities embedded in our writing systems, and are learners sensitive to these patterns?

Lunch served at 12:15 PM.